Live: Students on the march in Manchester ahead of crunch Commons vote on tuition fees

Hundreds of university students are marching through Manchester today - on the eve of a crunch Commons vote on tuition fees which threatens to split the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition. Follow live coverage of the march here.

Students have staged a series of demonstrations opposing a hike in university fees

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Hundreds of university students are marching through Manchester today - on the eve of a crunch Commons vote which threatens to split the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition government.

MPs will choose tomorrow whether to hike tuition fees up to £9,000-a-year.

Dozens of Lib Dems are threatening a rebellion against party leader and deputy PM Nick Clegg after their pre-election pledge to oppose an increase.

Students from Salford and Manchester universities are staging a city centre protest – joining thousands of others around England. Follow our live blog with the latest on the march by clicking on this grey box, below:

Around 240 academics and PhD students from Manchester university have signed a public statement declaring their opposition to the plans.

Researchers, staff, teachers and academics from the university’s Faculty of Humanities say the reforms threaten high-quality teaching and research and will hit learners from poorer and middle income backgrounds.

The statement reads: “We strongly believe higher education should receive strong public funding and support, and that higher education is of value to UK society as a whole.”